Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

After finalizing their plans for tomorrow, Kotori suddenly remembered how Shido had gone in the direction of the restaurant.

She shifted her eyes to Shido with her characteristic mocking tone.

"Even so, what were you doing in that place, stupid brother?"

"Do you want to die?"

Shido's lips twitched uncontrollably at her words, a popping vein was almost seen on his head.

'S-Stupid brother?'

'This cheeky little—'

He took a deep breath to compose himself, though the gears in his mind were already turning. A sly grin crept onto his face as he plotted his counterattack. 

As he schemed, Shido's thoughts wandered to this morning when Kotori had clung to him, adorably begging him to be taken to Danny's.

Her innocent pout, her spoiled insistence on wanting the Deluxe Kids Plate.

It was a far cry from the commanding figure standing before him now.

And it gave him an idea.

Feigning helplessness, Shido sighed dramatically and met Kotori's gaze, his expression softening into one of exaggerated care.

"What else could I do, Kotori? My cute little sister was so excited to eat her Deluxe Kids Plate. How could I possibly run away when there was a chance she might be in danger?"

His tone carried just the right mix of tenderness and self-mockery, his caring look stunned Kotori in place.

Kotori's confident demeanor shattered instantly.

Her face turned a vibrant shade of red as she looked away, trying in vain to cover her embarrassment.

"H-Hmph! J-Just don't let it happen again, stupid brother." she stammered, her twin tails swaying with nervousness.

Shido chuckled inwardly, triumphant. Watching the ever-cheeky Commander Kotori turn into a flustered, tsundere mess was deeply satisfying.

Despite her sharp tongue and fierce attitude, she was still his lovable little sister at heart and undeniably adorable when caught off guard.

Still grinning, he thought to himself, Checkmate.

...

The next day, at the school.

"It's the second day of the new semester…"

"...and this class now has an assistant homeroom teacher."

A tall and beautiful woman wearing a deadpan expression stood at the podium, her exhausted aura was evident to everyone in the room.

"My name is Murasame Reine." she introduced herself in a monotone voice.

"I teach physics."

"Nice to meet y—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Reine swayed and collapsed onto the floor, landing with a dull thud.

Gasps erupted around the classroom, and Okamine-sensei, their petite and energetic homeroom teacher, flailed in a panic.

"M-Murasame-sensei! Are you alright?" she exclaimed, running toward the fallen woman.

Shido who was sitting at his desk, was momentarily agape, his lips twitching looking at this comical scene. 

Once the chaos had settled, Reine was helped to her feet.

...

Earlier this morning, Okamine-sensei saw him and she dashed over with her face full of worry. "Itsuka-kun!" she said, practically vibrating with concern.

"What happened yesterday? You suddenly disappeared without a word! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Her barrage of questions and her flustered tone overwhelmed Shido, who scratched his cheek helplessly.

The height difference between them made it even harder to take her seriously, Okamine-sensei's petite stature and exaggerated gestures made her resemble a little girl throwing a tantrum.

"I'm sorry, Okamine-sensei." Shido apologized, his expression genuinely remorseful. Still, he couldn't entirely suppress the thought. 'She's kind of cute when she's upset like this.'

Before Okamine-sensei could scold him further, Reine came inside the faculty to report. 

Seeing that Reine, the new assistant homeroom teacher came, Okamine-sensei's nerves loosened, and she finally relented.

"W-Well, alright, just don't let it happen again, Shido-kun!"

Shido breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the save. He cast a grateful glance at Reine which then she replied with a nod. 

Still, even with her tired eyes and messy demeanor, Reine had an undeniable charm about her.

The combination of her lab coat and sloppy composure only enhanced her appeal. Her slender build and curvy figure left an impression that even Shido, who was trying to remain composed, couldn't ignore.

Her black stockings, which elegantly wrapped around her thighs, gave her a seductive vibe that made him gulp hard.

Still, her presence as a reliable figure and the peculiar contrast of her scattered nature made her even more fascinating to him.

During the break, the atmosphere felt far from typical inside the dark and quiet physics preparation room.

Shido glanced at Reine, who was leaning against the chair, and thanked her once again for her help earlier that morning.

She responded with a lazy nod, her eyes half-opened as if the effort to acknowledge him was enough for the moment.

Turning to Kotori, who was leaning casually against the wall, Shido raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your school?" 

Kotori looked up from her phone and flashed him a brief, annoyed glance. "I have a permit." she said nonchalantly, swinging her legs back and forth.

Shido just sighed at her response, thinking that her cheeky personality might be beyond help already. 

Shido took a breath and finally asked "So, what are we going to do today?"

Kotori, never one for unnecessary details, replied with a sly smile.

"You'll see once you start using the training software."

With a flick of her hand, she called out to Reine. "Reine."

"Right." Reine responded, before stepping forward and opening the software. She then moved aside so the two could see the screen.

A loading icon appeared, spinning for a moment as the software booted up.

Once it was finished, the screen revealed something entirely unexpected. 

A dating sim display.

Shido blinked at the screen, a familiar game interface greeting him. He furrowed his brows, momentarily thinking of Tonomachi's obsession with dating sim.

"Wait." he said, raising an eyebrow. "Is this... a dating sim?"

Kotori immediately snapped at him. "It's not a dating simulation, look carefully."

Reluctantly, Shido turned his attention back to the screen, now noticing the title.

"My Little Shido...?" he muttered under his breath, too stunned to say anything more.

He stared at the screen in silence, completely speechless as the awkward, monotone epilogue began. The narration droned on as if it was too tired to even try, adding to the strange atmosphere that hung around the room.

...

After school during the late afternoon, the corridors of the school were quiet, with the students all headed home.

For some reason, Shido found himself alone with Origami on the top floor staircase.

Origami, standing before him, broke the silence with a serious expression.

"You... saw me yesterday."

Shido blinked, still a bit confused by the strange turn of events. "Yes." he replied, his mind wandering, trying to figure out how he got into this situation.

Origami continued, her tone cold yet pleading in its own way.

"Please don't reveal this to anyone."

"It would be better if you forgot everything else you saw yesterday."

Shido's expression softened into a helpless smile as he met her eyes. "How could I forget it? Those scenes were too hard to erase from my mind."

Origami nodded thoughtfully at the remark, but she remained firm.

"The girl in purple attire yesterday... be careful of her."

"She is a Spirit."

"Something I must defeat."

Her words came out with intensity, and Shido saw a determined resolve in her eyes. She clenched her fists as if the very thought of the girl made her resentful.

Shido paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful as he looked at her. "Are they really that evil?" he asked carefully, worried about her tone.

Origami nodded, her eyes turning cold as she responded.

"Five years ago, my parents were killed by Spirits."

There was a trace of hatred in her voice, the words coming with the weight of a deep, personal loss.

Shido stayed silent as he observed her.

The girl who usually wore a flat expression, now displaying a hostile laced with grief.

The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable, but what stood out most to Shido was the flicker of helplessness behind it.

He sighed inwardly, torn by the knowledge that trying to lessen her hatred would be difficult, even futile.

Once someone's belief was formed deep-rooted and unwavering, it would be nearly impossible to change their mind, no matter how rational you were.